B.Phil.

In addition to birthday surprises planned by family and friends, my diploma arrived in the mail on Saturday! My ability to philosophize is now officially validated.

Fun fact: Saint John's is the only seminary and one of only five institutions in the United States that award a bachelor of philosophy degree. 

Bright Wednesday

Then beginning with Moses and the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Luke 24:27, 30-31, 35

Recognition of Jesus is through faith stirred by grace. How often has it been said that if I receive an unmistakeable sign that faith would result? But those who knew Jesus did not recognize him after the resurrection; only by grace that prompted faith could they say it is the Lord and believe in him. We must remain mindful that no intellectual deduction will allow us to recognize him and no power of will can by itself produce faith in him; his revelation of himself is a gratuitous gift.

Panis angelicus fit panis hominum; Dat panis cœlicus figuris terminum:
The angelic bread is made the bread of men; he giveth the heavenly bread, the end of figures.

O res mirabilis! Manducat Dominum pauper, servus et humilis.
O wondrous thing! The poor and humble servant consumes the Lord.

Te trina Deitas unaque poscimus: Sic nos tu visita, sicut te colimus;
Thee, three and one Deity, we beseech; do thou visit us, even as we worship.

Per tuas semitas duc nos quo tendimus, Ad lucem quam inhabitas. Amen.
Through thy ways, lead us who draw toward the light that thou inhabitest. Amen.

Passion Saturday

Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.

John 11:51-52

My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Ezekiel 37:27

"Destiny" is a word that has become associated with sappy romantic comedies, something no one serious or simply practical can take seriously. And if destiny is understood as a force of the universe, something impersonal yet potent beyond chance, then it is certainly silly to believe it exercises power over us. This is because impersonal forces do not exercise personal power; this is the will, a faculty found only in persons. 

This is why destiny only makes sense as an intensely personal force, something strong because it is the act of a personal and indefatigable will, a will so strong that it removes obstacles, even if the obstacles include our own faults. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that we might not be kept from our eternal destiny of beatitude in his presence, but that when he is revealed, we will see him as he is in infinite goodness.

Ostinato:

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Lenten Reflection: Grace in the Present Moment

"We never keep to the present. We recall the past; we anticipate the future as if we found it too slow in coming and were trying to hurry it up, or we recall the past as if to stay its too rapid flight. We are so unwise that we wander about in times that do not belong to us, and do not think of the only one that does; so vain that we dream of times that are not and blindly flee the only one that is."
-Blaise Pascal, Pensée 47

Lent is a time for mindfulness of the present. The physical sensations of hunger or other unfulfilled desires bring us back from the musings of the mind to the reality of existence here and now, reminding us that we depend on God for our being at every moment and that there is grace being offered in this moment for us to receive.

Let us not be content to merely consider what saints we could be with God's grace but strive to accept the grace as it is given.

Missions and Apostolates

God, who called blessed Teresa, virgin, to respond to the love of your Son thirsting on the cross with outstanding charity to the poorest of the poor, grant us, we beseech you, by her intercession, to minister to Christ in his suffering brothers.
                                      Collect from Mass, 5 September

I thought that today being the memorial of Bl. Teresa and the day of the week devoted to intentions for the poor and suffering, I could post about the apostolate work I will be doing this semester.

Part of our formation program is spending at least a few hours each week working in an apostolate, either independently or with one of the professed priests or brothers. I found out today that my assignment for this semester will be working with the elderly, ill, and disabled through Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital network, a healthcare system that encompasses mainly short-term care and rehabilitation but also extended care facilities and hospice. My primary assignment will be to take Holy Communion to patients, as well as visiting and comforting the ill and residents at the homes for the elderly.

When I found out about the extra assignment today after a long day of classes, my initial inclination was to complain about having something additional on top of studies and other responsibilities. God certainly caught me there having it be on the memorial of Bl. Teresa:

"I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ask yourself “How has he loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?” Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love. Work without love is slavery."

"Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart." 
 

Speaking of classes, I will be auditing the class on JP II's encyclical Fides et Ratio instead of taking it for credit; I guess 18 credits is a little unreasonable as a course load during postulancy. I hope to keep you updated on my course with Peter Kreeft. The course is "Philosophy in Literature" and we are reading The Lord of the Rings (!) and The Brothers Karamazov.

Class with Peter Kreeft

I know I said there would be no more posts until after my retreat, but I couldn't wait to share my exciting news. I was disappointed that I would not be able to take one of Peter Kreeft's courses immediately this semester, but then it turned out his class Philosophy in Literature was available as an elective. It would be additional on top of my other classes (Ancient Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Latin, Logic & Epistemology, Christian Moral Living, Faith & Reason) and all Dr. Kreeft's classes are notoriously difficult, with at least one book assigned per week plus papers, but I really didn't want to wait to cut my teeth. So with only a little begging I prevailed upon my formation director to allow me to take the course with another seminarian. I am very excited for class on Tuesday.